Paternity leave ending: please share advice!

boynextdoor1

I'm a new mom, my LO is 8 days old, and my DH goes back to work Monday.  I'm going to be a SAHM.  I;m wondering what I should expect from my first weeks and if anyone could advise me on how to keep LO & DH happy & myself from getting so overwhelmed. LO and I had a great day together Wed,, I actually got to shower, shave, do my hair & makeup during a nap (he slept in his bouncer right by me) and we went to meet w a lactation consultant.  I was shocked, but I know not every day will be so easy.  I'm pretty exhausted right now!  DH has been so awesome and helpful, I'm kind of anxious about being left on my own full time w LO.  Right now, the house is clean, the baby is sleeping, I'm pumping, and DH is watching football, so all is right w the world. Can' t possibly last!  What should I plan for and/or expect this week?  What's on the to-do list with a newborn, other than of course, adoring him him and trying to keep him fat, clean, and happy?

EveryNameIWantIsTaken

I think it would be best to go into it with no expectations.  Don't expect to have the house cleaned, dinner cooked, etc.  We had some great days and some really, really bad days.  Keep the baby happy, keep yourself sane, anything on top of that is an added bonus! 

Oh, and if it isn't too cold where you live, or if you are willing to take the baby out in public, go on a walk now and again.  There wasn't much I could do with a newborn, but a walk really helped to break up the monotony and get some fresh air.  I wandered around Target A LOT!

MamatoJackson

IMO, the first three months (Well, four for us... DS had colic pretty bad and didn't nap) were all about survival.

Like PP said, go into it with the expectation that your house will be messy, you may not get a shower in until afternoon, etc, etc.  That's just how some days are going to be for awhile.  If you have a day where you are able to get more done than taking care of baby and getting yourself showered... that's a good day!

GL. 

MrsBalletStar05

Hey - knock on wood, it could be great!  I stayed at home with my first for nearly 4 months and it was like that - he was an easy baby and I was easily able to cook and clean and get things done during his naps!  No advice, jsut good luck :-)

DaisyFull1

I agree w/ the pp - don't go into it with any expectations. It sounds like you're doing great already... and yes, it CAN last. My LO has been a very easy baby so far!

GL to you!  

mrsfirefly

EveryNameIWantIsTaken:

I think it would be best to go into it with no expectations.  Don't expect to have the house cleaned, dinner cooked, etc.  We had some great days and some really, really bad days.  Keep the baby happy, keep yourself sane, anything on top of that is an added bonus! 

Oh, and if it isn't too cold where you live, or if you are willing to take the baby out in public, go on a walk now and again.  There wasn't much I could do with a newborn, but a walk really helped to break up the monotony and get some fresh air.  I wandered around Target A LOT!

This sums it up!  Consider a cleaning service for the first few months.    We had a lot of the really, really bad days and this helped.  Things are only just starting to feel kind of "together" for me.

aggiewife22

My DS was pretty easy baby so taking care of him was a lot easier than I expected. The thing that was the hardest for me was how tired and sore I was. I had a vaginal delivery but I pushed myself too hard the first week DS was home and it took me about three weeks after that to fully recover. We ate a lot of take out and frozen meals and the house was not always clean (definitely no deep cleaning going on). Just do what you can and if you have to sleep all day while your LO is sleeping, don't worry about it. GL!

blissfully_caffeinated

The first month or so was all about survival. I slept whenever I could, fed DS (which was actually a pretty big battle), tried to get out of the house a set number of times per week, and keep Dh and I fed. I'd also try to get the bare minimum done housework wise (clean clothes, dishes, etc). Those were my goals. I didn't always meet them. DS has always woken up every 2 hours. Now sometimes I get every 3. Still, it's incredibly tiring. Once other things start to get easier the lack of sleep gets worse. It's less than awesome.

I started adding things in as time went on. First I added in some cleaning. Then errands. Then cooking dinner every night. I just kept improving. Now I'm able to stay on top of all the cleaning, errands, DS, cooking, etc. My advice is don't push yourself too hard. It's okay if things slide.